Archive for the ‘GenX’ Category

In other words, what are you going to do over the next four to five decades to earn a living that is meaningful? I heard this question echo from twenty talented, motivated, and ambitious Gen Y’s this past week. It’s the never ending nagging question that shows up when considering a possible college major. Graduate school program. Or career path. It’s the question that ignites panic. Fear. And depression. Why does it trigger such scary feelings?

Because your answer may differ from your parents’ idea of what you should be doing. From your friends. Or from other important influencers who think you should be choosing something practical. Something that pays well. Provides status. You have friends following the straight and narrow. They know what they’re doing. Their certainty makes you feel inadequate. Ashamed of lacking the certainty they have. What makes it harder is you feel there is no room for a mistake. Opportunity knocks once. Make a mistake now and you will be too old. Too old for that graduate school. Too old to get on the right career track.

Are today’s Baby Boomer-led workplaces really ready for Generation Y? We found one IT manager who is not only ready but excited about the vast potential many of these new 20-something workmates bring to corporate America. Music this episode includes Generation Y by Clint VanSchiver and It’s Your Lucky Day Now by AJ and The Frozen Tundra Blues Band.

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GenY and GenX, listen up. This show is for you. Whether you are looking for work in a struggling economy, or trying to move up when others around you are being downsized, here are four essential things you must do to stand out, get ahead and stay ahead of the competition. My guest is Sean Harvey, a NYC-based career development consultant whose clients are 20 and 30-something professionals. Music includes "It’s Your Lucky Day Now" by AJ and The Frozen Tundra Blues Band.

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Wait a minute, you haven’t been away, I have. And boy have I been busy creating a brand new series of shows aimed at providing you with the tools and techniques to help you thrive at this thing we call life!

Fittingly, we start with Life Coaching. What is it? How do you know you need one? Where can you find the best one for you? How does it work? What does it cost? Here are the straight answers to all your questions and more. I also hope you will sign up for my Premium podcast series were we will explore in-depth areas such as GenX-Y career development, divorce and step families, relationships and much more. Music heard on this show includes "Welcome Back" by John Sebastian.

Maybe it’s because of the political season. Maybe not. But I’ve been getting complaints about office politics, none-stop. They come from the young who are new to the world of work. Those who’ve been at the game a while, refer to office games as energy guzzlers. Retirees say it’s the thing they miss the least. Seems the only ones who get off on office games are the folks who spend the bulk of their time promoting themselves instead of doing the work. You can’t entirely ignore the games. But there is a better way to get ahead.

In addition to performing really well, here are a few tips.

Take the time to create your Career Plan. Think at least 5 – 10 years out. What kind of work would you like to be doing? At what level. What experience do you need to get there? What new skills? Knowledge? Consider opportunities in your organization. Identify possible outside opportunities. Power comes from unambiguous clarity of purpose.

Communicate clearly and frequently to important stakeholders about how well you are doing. Your importance and shelf life dwindle when communication ceases. Your stock goes up when you relay frequent, brief contacts about your accomplishments and progress.

Take control. You be the one to step up to the plate. Set the strategy. Take action. Always mind your manners. Bad behavior is usually a power play to intimidate. Don’t get caught in someone else’s game. At work there are no winners or losers. There are those who take control. And there are those who lose it.

There’s lots more to talk about. What lessons have you learned at work? What have you faced? Has it soured you? What did you do to get past it?

Funny how doing anything for exactly one year can often spawn an epiphany. It tugs at us to change direction, however minor the adjustment, to breathe new life into what seemed perfectly on-course until that 365 day marker appeared in the rearview mirror. Okay, enough suspense already. Harriet Katz is branching out! And what an exciting ride it is going to be! Music heard on this show includes You Ain’t Seen Nothin Yet by Bachman Turner Overdrive.